Ash Wednesday begins the 40 day season of Lent, six-and-a-half weeks of prayer and fasting, self-examination and preparation, as we follow our Lord Jesus to the cross and out of the empty tomb. Christians all over the world are gathering today  to worship and pray, to confess and repent, in a tradition that dates back to the earliest days of our faith.

As has become our custom, the “4Midland” churches are worshiping together tonight and observing the Ash Wednesday traditions. It’s funny that for the past couple of months, the Baptists and the Church of Christers have been asking Darin and me, “When’s the Ash Wednesday service?” The Methodists and the Presbyterians have been asking Steve and Steve, “Can we sing more songs?” We are learning from each other. We are growing together.

All four of our churches have been telling us, “We don’t necessarily need a sermon.” That’s another thing we seem to have in common.

On Ash Wednesday, we are all like Isaiah. We see who we really are in light of God’s great holiness and majesty. We are mortal and frail; we are completely dependent. We examine ourselves. We allow God’s holy light to reveal our sin, which leads us to repent. We are in desperate need of his forgiveness and salvation. We see that today.

But we also see our God. We see very clearly that our God through Christ saves us from sin and death. We see that through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, we can live right now today and forever in the fullness of his eternal life.

First Presbyterian is hosting our “4Midland” service this evening. If you live anywhere in the Permian Basin, I invite you to join us at 6:30pm for singing with the combined choir, for the prayers and the readings, for confession and repentance, for receiving the ashes, and for clear-eyed assurance of the salvation we share together  in Jesus.

Peace,

Allan